Sunday Suppers: Baked Ham with Mac Salad and Green Beans

I wanted to start a new feature on the blog, Sunday Suppers.  I often will make a big dinner with the idea to use that one meal to jump start several other meals through out the week.  Like this week's ham can turn into "lunch meat" that is wholesome and real instead of creepily uniform and hyper processed like deli meat.  It can also lead to a couple of dinners that are tailor made for busy week nights.

 Now when you head to the grocery store that big piece of meat may lead to a little bit of sticker shock.  However, think of it this way:  this $12 ham will roll into 2-3 dinners this week, provide sandwich fixins' for the week, and you'll be left with a big old ham bone for soup or beans at some point in the future.  And this recipe is Honey-Baked Ham store good; never again will I buy one of their $50 (!!!) hams.  

Some dinner ideas with left over ham include:

1. Eggs Benedict.  I serve this at dinner time with a side of roasted asparagus or sauteed spinach.
2. Ham and broccoli macaroni and cheese.  A complete dinner in one dish.
3. Hawaiian pizza, see previous post, Picadillo Calazones for my pizza dough recipe.  

I have to say, my kids were excited about this ham.  Owen calls himself a "meatatrian" and Noah tried to haul the uncooked ham off the counter and take it to the dining room table!

Orange-Ginger Baked Ham 

Ingredients:
1 bone in ham (mine was about 6.5 pounds which is a pretty average size)
For the glaze:
1/2 heaping and packed cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp grill seasoning
1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger **tip--buy a knob of ginger from the produce section, it will run you about $.30 and you can keep it in the freezer forever and just grate it frozen.

1/4 scant cup orange juice 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Remove all packaging from ham and place it cut side down in a large pan.  
 
Cook for 20 minutes per pound.  My ham at 6.5 pounds cooked for 2 hours and 10 minutes.  30 minutes before cooking is finished remove from the oven to apply the glaze.

To glaze:  use a knife to carefully score the ham in both directions to allow glaze to penetrate the ham.

 Make the glaze by combining the brown sugar, orange juice, grill seasoning, and ginger to make a paste.  Slather over the top of the ham and return it to the oven for the final 30 minutes.
 

It will come out looking mahogany and lovely. 

 Now let's make some side dishes!

Macaroni Salad
 Ingredients:
8 oz or 1/2 box macaroni pasta
2 carrots, grated
1/2 bell pepper, finely diced

 
For dressing:
1/3 cup Mayo
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp sugar
several dashes tabasco to taste
salt and pepper  





Directions:  
 Boil the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse in cold water,( this is the only time I would ever tell you to rinse your pasta! ).

I like to make the dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl, fewer dishes.  Add all the dressing ingredients and whisk, taste and adjust tabasco, salt and pepper.

 Add the cooked pasta, bell peppers, carrot and mix well with the dressing.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving to fully chill and meld the flavors.  


Bacon Laced Green Beans
This recipe was an attempt to get Owen to eat a vegetable without making gag-face.  
Ingredients:
2 heaping cups of fresh or frozen green beans, if fresh, snap off ends
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 a large tomato, finely diced
splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
maybe a 1 tsp of olive oil

Directions:
Toss green beans in a pot of boiling water.  I only cook them for about 2 minutes (for fresh, maybe 3-4 if frozen) to maintain a bright color and crisp bean.  If you like yours more well done, keep them under longer.  Drain and set aside.

Saute chopped bacon over medium heat.  When crisp remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.  Admire your bacon fat in the pan, is it about 1 1/2 tsp?  If not, add the olive oil to make about 1 1/2 tsp of oil/fat total.  Add a splash of red wine vinegar, about 1 tsp and the honey.  Give it a quick whisk.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the green beans and tomato. Warm up the veggies and give the green beans a bit of a char, about 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the bacon.  

Enjoy!